Chinese farm developing facial recognition technology for goats using cameras that can differentiate their features
- The cameras are specially made to recognise each goat’s characteristics, including behaviour, body shape and exercise patterns
- They can also recognise symptoms of diseases, including sore mouths
The Shanghai-based Vert City Farm has been working on the system since 2019 and is expected to put it into use next year, using security cameras installed on the farm to watch over the goats, according to an article from the Shanghai Chongming district government website.
Huang Zhen, the chairman of the farm’s board, told local news portal The Paper that the cameras are designed to recognise each goat’s characteristics, including their behaviour, body shape and exercise patterns, as well as being able to tell some goats apart by their features.
“The cameras can also recognise symptoms of diseases, including sore mouth and diarrhoea. It uses infrared to measure their body temperature and would alert the farm vets if a goat’s temperature rises above 40 degrees Celsius,” he said.
At the same time, facial recognition can avoid inbreeding among the goats, as the system records breeding activity. It can also tell whether a goat is pregnant and help vets prepare.
